The Chairman of the National Drug Authority Board Dr. Medard Bitekyerezo has said that he is going to employ more Veterinary Doctors on the board so that they can help in curbing substandard veterinary drugs from entering the country.

While officiating at the closer of a three day stakeholders consultative meeting on the draft National food and drug bill at Hotel Africana on Wednesday Bitekyerezo said that there are many substandard veterinary drugs that are on the Ugandan market that have been brought in as imports which have instead of healing the animals are killing them.

Left to right PRO NDA Fred Ssekyana, Jenifer Namuyangu State Minister for Local Government, Dr. Medard Bitekyerezo NDA Board Chairman

“The tick pesticide that is on the market now, once sprayed on the animals just multiples the ticks instead of killing them and in the end the animals die because of big numbers of ticks that are sacking their blood.

A big number of tribes in the west, east and the north entirely depend on rearing animals and if the animals are dead then these people will also not live” Bitetekyerezo said.

He explained that this is the reason why he is going to increase on the number of veterinary doctors on the NDA board by employing six of them in order to curb substandard veterinary drugs coming into the country and he is happy that the president is also in support of this.

Victoria Sekitoleko former Minister of Agriculture said that once the food and drug law is put into place the growing of yams in swamps should be stopped immediately because these yams are sold to the public for consumption yet they are contaminated with feces and chemicals which affect the public health wise.

The state minister for Local government Jenifer Namuyangu also said that most elderly people suffer from diabetes and many cancers which are as a result of bad eating habits and bad foods.